Employer Branding Academy Review

Employer branding.

Something many employers continue to not get.

And lament why they are just not getting the talents their job posting is supposed to attract.

I wrote about this in a previous blog post as I compare employer branding efforts between Singtel and Breadtalk.

It has been six months since and Breadtalk is still reliant on their job listing page to epitomize their entire employer branding efforts.

And this is despite all the data we are getting from the next generation of job seekers.

Harvard Business Review recently wrote about what Millennials want from work.

We have to start looking at developing a talent pipeline as it takes time to build the trust from these younger group of workers since they are not short of options.

You could see some companies truly understand the importance.

They created new roles such as “Chief Talent Officer” whose full-time role is to help develop existing and future talents of the organization.

It is clear that attracting and retaining the right talent is becoming a key organizational capability: The industry is quickly moving away from short-term recruitment focus to a long-term branding focus.

Companies will gain a competitive advantage by taking a long-term approach to investing in Employer Branding and developing their brands to align with long-term business needs.

Top candidates, especially Millennials, are expressing a desire to work for companies that have a purpose aka your #EmployerBranding

— Ongig (@ongig) March 16, 2016

How Do I Get Started In Employer Branding?

To start with, you could refer to this 9 steps process as a beginner’s guide:

1. Understand the business needs

Employer branding activities may be misdirected if long-term business needs are not fully understood.

Understand what types of competences the organization needs in order to deliver on the business plan.

2. Define the main target groups

Define the weight between current and future talent, based on the business needs and the critical competences.

How many resources should an organization spend on attracting new talent versus retaining and developing current talent?

Define the main and secondary external target groups that need to be reached.

3. Understand the target groups

After defining the main and secondary external and internal target groups, fully understand them.

Organizations should use research to understand what these groups find attractive.

Employers should also know the target groups’ current perceptions of the organization and know which stage of the decision process they are in.

The deeper the understanding of the target groups, the more effective the communication will be.

4. Optimize the employer value proposition (EVP)

An employer value proposition should be the foundation for all external and internal communication with talent.

Optimizing the EVP means ensuring that it includes attributes and communication themes that are attractive, credible, sustainable, and that allow for differentiation in the long term.

5. Select KPIs and set objectives

Once organizations know what is important to business, they need to understand the target groups and optimize the EVP.

This allow them to find ways to measure impact and to set objectives.

By selecting the right KPIs that measure, for example, an organization’s attractiveness and brand association, the company can set annual goals.

When these goals are met, the employer will know that the brand is moving in a direction that is fully aligned with the business needs.

6. Define an optimal communication mix

The research indicates which stage of the decision process the target groups are in, and this information will allow organizations to determine where the main focus should lie: on driving awareness, consideration, or desire.

This fundamental knowledge will allow companies to optimize the selection of communication channels and will lead to the best possible ROI.

7. Create an annual plan

Many of the components of an annual employer branding plan — the business needs, the target group’s definition and insights, the EVP, the communication mix, the objectives, the main strategies, and the KPIs — are now in place, so the plan starts to solidify.

The only remaining component is the activities plan — which activities a company should implement and when.

8. Develop communication ideas

Based on the EVP and the selected communication channels, organizations now need to develop communication ideas that will have the greatest possible impact on the target groups and set the company apart from the competition.

Of course, these communication ideas and concepts should be tested with the target groups before being fully executed.

9. Execute and follow-up

With the plan and communication ideas in place, execute and continuously follow up. By using the right KPIs and regularly updating them against the objectives, employers will be able to correct and optimize when needed, and ultimately to deliver on the company’s business needs.

Okay. I Still Don’t Get It

Yes it can be very complicated.

Which is why you might wish to turn to Employer Branding Academy.

The Employer Branding Academy is a global qualification that enables you to become more strategic and structured in your approach, greatly boost your organisation’s attractiveness, and demonstrate a clear ROI on your activities.

Developed in close partnership with Richard Mosley and Universum here in Singapore.

The goal of the training is to accelerate your employer brand management and execution, and provide you with the right tools for you to efficiently anchor, plan, implement, follow-up and measure your work in order to achieve both short- and long-term business goals.

Here are what you expect:

• 8 week online course
• 4 eLearning modules done at your own pace
• 2-3 hrs private study per week
• Live kick off day seminar in Singapore April 18th
• Live graduation and certification day in Singapore June 17th
• Globally recognised certificate that is in high demand from leading employers
• Printed diploma and digital badge on your LinkedIn profile showing you’re an employer branding professional
• Access to exclusive global community of other employer branding professionals

Two options: fully online (online) or online + 2 meet ups in Singapore (international), where you meet experts, peers, network etc.

Modules Overview

MODULE 1 – WHY EMPLOYER BRANDING

This module will give you an understanding of the value of employer branding and its critical role in the long-term success of your organisation.

• How to argue for, anchor and share employer branding issues internally
• Understand the business plan and how to connect it to employer branding, recruitment and talent management within your organisation
• Define target groups and target group analysis

MODULE 2 – BUILD A STRATEGY

This module will help you develop an employer branding strategy that fully supports long-term business objectives, as well as setting the right KPIs for your needs.

• Develop and optimize an Employer Value Proposition (EVP).
• Get the right tools for sharing and getting buy-in from important stakeholders within your organisation
• Learn how to put together execution plans
• Develop KPIs and set goals that are directly related to the business plan

MODULE 3 – COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

This module will help you develop talent personas, nd the stories that support your EVP and spread them through the most effective channels.

• Develop the right communication mix, an action plan and formulate your messaging
• How to identify and use the right channels, including social media, when communicating your employer brand to your target groups

MODULE 4 – MEASURING YOUR RESULTS

This module will show methods for continuous follow-up and how to take actions based on your findings. It will also help you reinforce your message across internally.

• Evaluate and follow-up on on-going employer branding strategies and plans
• Tangible measurement of ROI and KPIs
• Presentation skills

MODULE 5 – PUT YOUR NEW SKILLS TO PRACTICE

Start using the knowledge and tools you have acquired during the course.The last module is a real case study, where you apply your knowledge, tools and structure in a real case exercise.

• Presented live or during an interactive webinar
• Receive useful feedback from our experienced employer branding specialists
• Final exercise for course graduation

Market Validation

Collectively the 2015 alumni scored the academy 4.6 out of 5 in overall satisfaction.

Also 9 out of 10 said they’d recommend their colleagues or peers.

This is from alumni including EY, KPMG, PwC, Audi, Deloitte, Unilever, IKEA, Bosch and many of the world’s most successful employers.

In Singapore, they have so far trained AccorHotels, OCBC, Nielsen, Swire, Maybank, Indonesia Stock Exchange, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore Economic Development Board and Infocomm Development Authority

Become a certified expert in talent attraction

To find out more, click here to download their Employer Branding Academy summary deck.

They have also graciously extended a promotion for my readers.

You could get a 10% discount by using the promo code EBA10 and indicate “Adrian Tan Singapore” in notes to make it valid.

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